13. APHENDRIKA, PANAGIA
OF

Situated in the Karpas
peninsula, at Aphendrika, 1 mile (1.5 km) west of the ancient site of Urania (Famagusta district), next to the ruined
churches of Asomatoi and Saint
George, near the north coast [on the site, see Papacostas (1995) Gazetteer
2].

Dating: The barrel vaulted pier
basilica was probably erected in the late 7th-9th century period [Papacostas (1995) 22-23]. A
mid-7th century terminus post quem is provided by the column basilica’s likely
date of destruction, and the use of piers and vaulting in its successor,
while a 10th-century terminus ante quem is suggested by the decline of the use of
basilical schemes and the spread of domes by that time. Usually dated to the early medieval period
[Papageorgiou (1966a)
221, Papageorgiou (1982a)
470; Wharton (1988) 57,
where it is claimed, perhaps by mistake, that the group of vaulted pier
basilicas also had domes], although
various other dates have been proposed in the past (for the entire group of
vaulted pier basilicas), based mainly on
historical arguments: 12th century (and the alleged introduction of the
Romanesque style from Crusader Syria) [Enlart/Hunt (1987) 304; Jeffery (1918) 257-58; Gunnis (1936) 167]; 6th / 7th century (before the
Arab raids) [Soteriou (1931a)
482]; late 10th century (after the reintegration of Cyprus in the Byzantine
empire) [Megaw (1946) 54]; 8th /
9th century [Dikigoropoulos
(1961) 193]; between the two initial Arab raids of 649 and 653 [Megaw and Hawkins (1977)
31 n.130].

Later additions / alterations: A single-aisled
vaulted chapel was built within the west part of the nave in
the 16th century [Megaw (1946) 50;
MKE 3, 78-79].

Modern repairs: The debris was removed from the interior in 1964 showing
that no recess existed on the north wall (as shown on the plans) and
revealing a south chapel [Papageorgiou (1965a) 94-96; BCH 89 (1965) 300].

Plan / section: Enlart/Hunt (1987) 305; Soteriou (1935) 7; Megaw (1946) 51 [this plan is much more
accurate than earlier plans, although 1964 work revealed the absence of the
recess shown hypothetically on the plan, and the existence of the south
annex room (chapel?)].